Krell has resumed at least some level of operation, and the Duo 300 XD is back up to factory spec and on its way back to me.
The preamp that it was paired with is also back from being given a thorough evaluation. The dc offset from the preamp outputs measured by the technician was in the microvolts, not millivolts. So dc offset in the signal path was obviously not the problem. The Krell engineering staff are concerned about a mis-match, nonetheless. They indicated that sometimes components of different ages don't always work well together. I have no details as to what technical issue that might refer to specifically, but I'm certainly going to take their word for it. So it's now time to shop for a new preamp.
High on my list of potential replacements for the Classé preamp that it had been pair with, per Krell's suggestion, is the Krell Illusion II. Alternatively, but in a different realm of sound characteristics is an Audio Research LS28 that the local dealer is offering at an excellent price. I'm looking forward to auditioning these two and expecting that both will be capable of creating the same synergistic magic as the Classé. Whichever I choose, I'm hoping it cooperates with the Duo 300 XD and these faults don't recur.
The preamp that it was paired with is also back from being given a thorough evaluation. The dc offset from the preamp outputs measured by the technician was in the microvolts, not millivolts. So dc offset in the signal path was obviously not the problem. The Krell engineering staff are concerned about a mis-match, nonetheless. They indicated that sometimes components of different ages don't always work well together. I have no details as to what technical issue that might refer to specifically, but I'm certainly going to take their word for it. So it's now time to shop for a new preamp.
High on my list of potential replacements for the Classé preamp that it had been pair with, per Krell's suggestion, is the Krell Illusion II. Alternatively, but in a different realm of sound characteristics is an Audio Research LS28 that the local dealer is offering at an excellent price. I'm looking forward to auditioning these two and expecting that both will be capable of creating the same synergistic magic as the Classé. Whichever I choose, I'm hoping it cooperates with the Duo 300 XD and these faults don't recur.